Months
by Your Isis
Summary: Follow up drabbles to "I Survived" and "Home." Rated M just as a safety net for the future. Joel/Tess
1. Month 3 - October 29th

AN: These are drabbles following "Home." People really responded to the story and wanted more, so I decided to do a set of drabbles leading through Tess's pregnancy. I hope you all enjoy :3

Month 3 – October 29th

Tess twirls the little orange pumpkin around in her hands thoughtfully. It's a tiny thing, but Ellie's damn proud because she actually managed to grow a small patch of them in a small plot of dirt near the main gate. The gourd brings back more nostalgia than she would like. Memories play in her mind's eye of trick-or-treating with her brothers, stealing candy from each other, even the two of them scaring the absolute piss out of their "little baby sister."

The recollections make her snort with laughter. "Yeah," she muses to herself, trying not to feel as sentimental as she does. "I'd like to see you two steal my candy now, you bastards…"

She sets the pumpkin on the windowsill by the bed and reclines back against the pillows. It feels good to be not throwing up for once. Like clockwork every day: Wake up, vomit. Have breakfast and find the taste disgusting no matter what it is, vomit. Get dressed, vomit before getting all clothes on. Manage to finish getting dressed somehow, and then vomit once more for good measure. The whole damn pregnancy is more exhausting than she'd like.

Her eyes remain on the smooth, bright skin of the pumpkin and she remembers picking them in patches with her family. Things were so simple then. The crisp autumn air, the dreamy golden light of the season…the memory's more like a ghost than anything.

Joel's presence draws her attention. He's leaning against the door frame, giving her a softer look she doesn't quite recognize.

"Yes?" She asks expectantly.

"Well, you went an' told Ellie about carvin' pumpkins an' now she wants me to teach her." He gives her a small, rare smile. "I figured you'd wanna join us if you're done with your," he phrases it carefully, "daily routine."

Tess grunts and sits up. "Yeah, I'm good for now…hopefully." She raises an eyebrow, "did she actually grow somethin' big enough to carve?"

"A hand of 'em are actually pretty good sized." Joel's hand grips hers securely, hoisting her to her feet with care. There's a moment that follows of his fingers ghosting over her neck, down her shoulders, gently over the little bump in her abdomen. It makes more heat rise in her cheeks than she can handle.

"All right, big guy." She rolls her eyes as she shrugs him off. "You'd better let me show her how to do it though."

"Oh really?" He guides her out of the doorway and down the hall. "I think I used to do a pretty good job of it." Images of a pulp-covered kitchen and Sarah's expectant eyes watching him as he carefully cut all of the shapes out of pumpkin flesh flash through his memory.

"Yeah, but I grew up with two brothers and we competed with _everything_…including carving pumpkins." Tess flashes a proud smile, complete with a playful chest puff. "I was _good_."

Joel gives her an amused look, playing along. "Well then, I'll just have to watch the master at work, huh?"

"Damn right, you will."


	2. Month 4 -- November 17th

AN: I know it's short, I'm sorry it's short! I wanted to upload this one and another one but I just CAN'T finish tonight so it's not happening. I thought uploading a short thing is better than nothing!

Month 4 – November 17th

The winter weather in Wyoming doesn't sit well with either of them. No matter how many years of surviving go by, Joel's blood will always be Texan through and through, making the 10 degree weather unbearable. Tess just hates the cold in general – it makes her sleepy and edgy. The only time she finds it bearable is if she's wrapped up in enough layers to make her feel like a marshmallow and she's outside doing something fun, like snowball fights or making snow angels – something Ellie had never heard of until Joel and Tess had mentioned it to her earlier in the day. It's refreshing to see the girl's face light up when they haul her off the ground to dust the snow off her coat and admire their creations.

Even then, the weather gets to them so they scramble inside, shivering like leaves. Thankfully there was hot chocolate from a trade Tommy made a few weeks ago to warm up their fingers and a few space heaters to dry their frozen hair.

Something makes Tess hug Ellie a little longer that night before going to sleep. She fixes a few strands of the girl's wild hair, and then sends her off to bed wearing the most bewildered look on her face.

Joel dares to tease her lightly about her escalating hormones, earning him a swift punch to the shoulder. She may be pregnant, but the woman can still hit. Hard.

He makes it up to her in bed that night by not protesting when she slides her freezing cold toes between his legs to warm them up.


	3. Month 5 -- December 24th

AN: Aaaaand this one is WAY long. I had too much fun XD

Month 5 – December 24th

Christmas Eve.

Tess was 19 when she last celebrated Christmas or even thought about it. Hell, she hadn't even missed it. The necessaries of life took over at a certain point, rendering the fuzzy feelings for those family events useless. Yet, here it was on Christmas Eve and they were actually _celebrating_.

It wasn't much, but a group of them had done a little extra hunting for there to be enough deer and rabbit meat fit for a feast that night. All the candles that could be spared had been lit around the place as well. Between that, Joel strumming out the occasional carol on his guitar, and the cheerful murmuring of a happy community gathering, it actually does feel warm and cozy… as warm and cozy as the post-apocalypse can feel, at least.

And of course there's hot cocoa. None of them know how he did it, but Tommy managed to score enough instant hot cocoa and coffee to last throughout the winter, and then some. Turns out that the hot cocoa is one of the few things that doesn't make Tess's stomach turn, so Joel has been making her as many cups as she asks.

Like right now. Their fingertips brush as he hands the ceramic mug to her and they both feel the electricity pass between them. It's been a long time since they had sex. Too long. Tess has never wanted him more in the years they've known each other, but Joel has never been more afraid to touch her too roughly. The "what if's" are always plaguing his mind.

_What if I somehow hurt the baby? What if I somehow hurt you? What if I lose another child? What if I lose you…again?_

Tess looks irked when he half-asses a kiss, not wanting to feed the desire. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" She demands suddenly, using that tone he hasn't heard since he seriously fucked up a drop a few years ago.

"E-excuse me?"

"You heard me. What the fuck is _wrong_ with you, Joel?" She slides her hand over her belly unconsciously. "You can't even kiss me anymore? Am I seriously that unattractive now?"

_Oh Jesus_, he groans inwardly. Horribly memories of when Sarah's mother was pregnant rush in. "You're always attractive to me, Tess. You know that."

The glare set on her face says otherwise. "Fuckin' prove it then." She sets her cocoa down on the table next to her and folds her arms across her chest in a dare.

With a sigh, Joel looks around them anxiously for a moment, seeking a private spot for some "alone time," and then leads her there hurriedly by the hand. It's just a small alcove of a hallway just a breath away from the party, but it's unoccupied and dark. Perfect.

He takes a shaky breath, promising himself to go slow, to keep everything under control. Pregnant or not, the woman could tie him in hormonal knots, and he knows he could easily have the potential to prop her up on any surface imaginable and ravish her.

_Slowly...get a grip on yourself…_

The remarkable thing about kissing is that when you haven't kissed in a long time, the moment you do feels like watching the Magic Kingdom fireworks for the first time. The way she gasps just from a simple kiss lights his blood on fire.

Tess can hardly breathe as Joel presses her back against the wall, kissing her more intensely than he has in weeks. He takes care to not crush her belly, but still aligns his body with hers in a way that makes her feel consumed in the most wonderful way possible. Her fingers lace tight into his when he tries to dominate her tongue with his. She bites his lip. He growls.

_Fuck…_Tess throws her head back against the wall when he kisses _that_ spot at the base of her neck.

That's when she feels it.

"Wait, wait, hold up," she places a hand on Joel's chest, holding him back. His eyes are wide in fear that he actually did hurt her, but her gaze is soft and her words excited, dissolving his panic almost instantly. "I think….I think it just kicked."

Joel's expression does a 180, eyes from concern to delight in seconds. "For real?" It makes him look years younger, Tess realizes with amusement.

"Yeah…I think so." She grabs his hand and places it securely against the curve of her belly. Sure enough, he can feel the little vibrations. It's surreal for both of them.

Joel's lips find hers again, softer this time. "Strong l'il guy, huh?" His hand strokes gently over her, even after the kicking has stopped.

"Or girl," Tess interjects with a little smirk.

A grin touches his lips. "You're bettin' on that little girl, aren't you?"

"Oh I am. You see, my mother once cursed me, saying that she hoped I would have a little girl who would 'terrorize me as much as I terrorized her.'" She laughs as does Joel. "I believe in her curses. If the people of Boston thought _I _was scary, they should have met her."

An amused smirk crosses Joel's face. "Not surprised. You gotta learn it somewhere."

It's affectionate and makes both of them laugh again. Joel's eyes darken a little with an expression that reminds Tess why she has always made fun of him for being a "romantic." One that she finds wins her over a lot more since she discovered she was pregnant. He looks like he'll kiss her again when Ellie's shouting from the other room pierces through their peaceful space.

It seems that everyone is begging for more carols and Tess really can't blame them. She _did_ steal their musician.

"Later. I promise." Joel murmurs low against her ear, nipping the shell in just the right way to make her breath hitch as he leads them back toward his guitar.

Joel's a man of his word. That night he does things with his hands and mouth that leaves her toes curling and her throat hoarse from screaming his name.


	4. Month 6 -- January 20th

Soooo it's been a while. Life kinda happened, I need an operation on October 1st, so I'mma try to get as much stuff uploaded as possible before then, kiddies 3 All the reviews and love for my writing have been so lovely, thank you all of you. I'm so glad my writing is making others happy :3

Month 6 – January 20th

_It's like we're on a date_.

The faint memory of her teasing him with that very sentence rings in the back of Tess's memory as they snuggle up on the couch with a blanket that's actually thicker than paper. She never thought in a million years that she'd do something as sappy with Joel as have an honest to goodness "movie date." Outdoors had always been their thing, but inches and inches of snow blowing around kinda makes enjoying the wilderness a little difficult. So, while the frigid wind howls outside, they've got blankets, and pillows, and tea, and movies.

_Real. Movies._

The two of them can barely wrap their brains around the thought that there's actually a DVD spinning happily in the little player hooked up to the TV. Even stranger is realizing that they're actually fascinated by things that they used to never think twice about before the outbreak.

Joel's got an arm around her shoulders in a fashion that makes Tess lean her head against his, and it's actually…nice. With every day that goes by the calm begins to feel a little more "normal." There's no denying the little grin though that crosses her lips when he presses a kiss to her forehead, free hand roaming gently over her tummy as the opening credits to _Scarface_ flicker across the small screen in the darkened room.

To be fair, they do watch the movie. Half of it. The other half is spent making out like two teenage kids. Tess's substantial baby belly prevents Joel from planting her flat on her back and christening the couch, but he files the idea away for later. For the rare nights when they manage to get an elusive hour or two alone time…and he can get on top of her without crushing precious cargo.

It ends with the two of them in a sleepy, lazy state that leads to Joel being stretched lengthwise across the couch with Tess pressed to him carefully and comfortably. His hands are tangled securely in her hair, and he muses himself that he'd better enjoy it now, because that's the best grip he's ever going to get on that woman. Her fingers trace over his chest before clutching tight at the collar of his shirt, almost as if she knew what he was thinking and needed to confirm it.

The music from the credits hums in the background. Since when did the movie end?

"Should we go to bed?" Tess mumbles, already half asleep.

Joel's hold on her tightens just a little bit, "Jus'…jus' a few more minutes, hmmm?" He stifles a yawn, and tries to wake himself up, but it's of no use.

In the end, the title screen loops for a good three hours before Joel wakes up and manages to carry both of them back to their bedroom.


	5. Month 7 -- February 14th

Sorry it took forever to post. My recovery was going great and then it wasn't, so here I am posting this about 3 days later. I am excited to be almost done with this drabble collection because I have other ideas of things I want to write but I need to feel I completed SOMETHING first considering I Survived's last chapter is only half done. But anyway - HERE! HAVE A THING!

Month 7 – February 14th

There's plenty of red on Valentine's Day when Joel slips and falls on a rotted, but still sharp, pike of wood while scavenging from an old abandoned house. He returns through the main gate clutching his stomach, a bright red track of blood trailing stark against his footprints in the snow. Maria has to practically tie Tess to chair in the infirmary to get her out of the doctor's way so he can stitch the wound shut. All the while Ellie barks about how she's done it before and could very well do it herself, and Joel growls about he's had worse and everyone's overreacting.

Later that night she cuddles onto the couch with Joel, placing his head in the little remaining space of her lap to allow his long legs to stretch down the length of the cushions in entirety. The angle's awkward due to how her belly's grown and his need to keep his wounded body in a safe position, but like everything, they shift and make it work until both are comfortable enough.

"The hell were you doin' in that house, old man?" she teases, fingers stroking his hair. The jest is met with a grimace.

"Y'really wanna know, Tess?"

"You went an' got yourself pretty fucked up and scared the shit outta me and Ellie, so you bet your ass I do."

"In my backpack," he gestures to the worn-to-death bag by Tess's feet.

One fine eyebrow raised, Tess reaches down her hand and unbuckles the pack with a swiftness gained from years of experience. Her hands grope around the darkness, pushing aside tape and gauze before brushing against something soft.

"It's…" Tess can't help her amused laugh as she pulls the stuffed animal into view. "…Perfect. She'll love it." She sets the little pink and white giraffe on Joel's chest and looks it over with soft eyes.

"Or, he." The interjection's endearing but weaker every day. Something tells him that it's his fate to be surrounded by headstrong women.

"Well," Tess shrugs her shoulders with a little smirk. "Real men like pink, I suppose?" She can't resist hugging the little critter to her cheek – it's surprisingly soft for something left abandoned for so long.

"There's a baby blanket in there too." The pride in his statement softens Tess's expression.

"Fine, big guy, I'll let you scaring me shitless slide just this _one_ time because you're being so sweet it makes me want to vomit." She's wearing a quirky smile, but Joel knows better. "But don't you dare it again. You seem to forget that the people of the Boston black market used to piss themselves at my name – but trust me, I can and _will_ bring that back if you go off doing stupid things again."

"Yes ma'am," he murmurs, amused, as he pats the bandaging over his stomach. "Somethin' tells me I'm not heading out with the boys any time soon, so don't you worry."

"Good. Because I don't want to have to tell Willow that her father was an idiot, and that's why he's not here to see her grow up."

Joel turns his eyes to hers, brown on hazel. "Willow, eh?"

"Yep." Her reply is simple, unmoving.

He shifts a little, wriggling to get comfy and then shuts his eyes, mulling it over.

"I like it," he finally says earnestly. "It's a good name."


End file.
